This invention relates generally to the methods and systems for detection of very small amount of chemicals (trace chemicals) by employing light scattering probes. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved light scattering probe and a chemical sensor.
Despite the fact Raman detectors have sensitivity down to a level of single molecule detection (SMD), due to several technical difficulties; conventional Raman sensors still have very limited applications. Specifically, one of the major limitations of Raman spectroscopy application is the weak Raman scattering signal for trace chemical detection. There have been many efforts to attempt to resolve the problem of low scattering signals in the field of Raman sensing. However, such efforts still have very limited success and have not been able to make Raman detectors available for practical and economical applications that urgently require ultra sensitive chemical trace detections.
Therefore, a need still exists in the art to provide practical configuration for conveniently implement the Raman sensors in applications to antiterrorism, forensic, medical diagnoses, disease preventions, industrial process monitoring, environmental cleaning up and monitoring, food detection for food safety, and drug quality control, etc.